The objective of the present invention is to provide a solar collector structure of increased efficiency and simplicity of construction, promoting economy of manufacturing. In accordance with one important aspect of the invention, a serpentine heat transfer fluid circulating coil is enclosed at its bottom and sides by blankets of thermal insulating material while the top of the coil receives solar rays through a bank of translucent side-by-side contacting tubes of any preferred cross sectional shape which form above the transfer coil a dead air insulation means including a multiplicity of separated cells. The translucent tubes may comprise discarded fluorescent light tubes. Above these tubes, the collector is closed by an edge sealed panel of glass or other translucent material.
A variety of solar collectors are known in the prior art and to comply with the duty to disclose required by 37 C.F.R. 1056, the below-listed prior United States patents of some relevance are made of record herein, U.S. Pat. Nos.:
3,464,402 PA1 3,990,914 PA1 4,016,860 PA1 4,018,215 PA1 4,033,324 PA1 4,033,327.
Prior art solar collectors have tended to be unduly expensive and frequently complex in construction and therefore not entirely practical from an economic standpoint. Therefore, a further object of this invention is to improve on the known prior art by simplifying the structure of the collector and reducing its manufacturing cost while simultaneously improving its overall operational efficiency.
Other specific objects and advantages of the invention will appear to those skilled in the art during the course of the following detailed description .